1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to electronic storage and transmission of content. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for preprocessing and postprocessing content in an interactive information distribution system.
2. Description of the Background Art
Information systems such as video on demand (VOD) systems are capable of streaming program content to a great number of users or subscribers. To provide a requested program content to a subscriber, the VOD system retrieves the requested program content from a video server, streams the content over a stream distribution network, and converts the content to an access network that is coupled to a particular neighborhood of subscriber terminals. The user then views the requested program content at the subscriber terminal.
However, the different types of access networks have different limitations with respect to transmission latency, bandwidth, and the like. To service a wide subscriber base, the VOD systems currently implement different solutions for each type of access network. For example, VOD systems that provide web-based video content must account for a public and private wide area networks that support content of a particular quality of service (QoS), typically medium latency, low bandwidth and poor quality video, e.g. high jitter. Additionally, VOD systems that provide cable-based video must account for cable networks that support low latency, high bandwidth and high quality video.
One example of using different solutions involves the use of separate video servers for each type of access network. Such a solution only increases the cost of providing program content at the head end. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a scalable VOD solution that is common for the different types of access networks. Additionally, there is a need to preprocess and postprocess content for such a VOD solution.